Sunday, December 18, 2011

Monday 111219

Post total time to comments.Lindsey's not scared of heights and having fun doing it.

Vestibular fitness? In CrossFit, we train to be proficient in 10 general physical skills: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. "You are as fit as you are competent in each of these 10 areas. Improvements in endurance, stamina, strength, and ﬂexibility come about through training. Training refers to activity that improves performance through a measurable organic change in the body. By contrast improvements in coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy come about through practice. Practice refers to activity that improves performance through changes in the nervous system. Power and speed are adaptations of both training and practice." --CrossFit Journal, October 2002

Balance develops as we grow, but we can lose it at the same rate as we age if we become too sedentary.There are four primary components of balance: proprioception (the body's awareness in space and coordination between sensation and orientation to upright), vestibular system of the inner ear (controls equilibrium, balance, and orientation), vision, and strength.

The vestibular system is highly developed in the early years of life as toddlers and children are playing on merry-go-rounds, teeter-totters, monkey bars and swings. These toys can all be found in playgrounds. Other games that we used to play are “upsy daisy”, “bucking bronco” on your dad's knee, and “rocket launcher” in the swimming pool. They focus on inversion, foot/hand precision, rapid change of direction, and strength to enhance our vestibular system.

The “use it or lose it rule” becomes vital to long-term maintenance of balance. As we become adults, unless we practice we become deficit in our tolerance to positions other than upright. If one component of balance is lost the risk of a serious fall exponentially increases.

So, keep coming into CrossFit and practicing your handstands, headstands, cartwheels, rolls and muscle-ups. And play those games with your kids, friend's kids, or neighborhood rascals. Get out there on that playground or into that pool and have some fun. It's never to late to practice, and who doesn't love a good tire swing spin?